I wonder if chives are underrated by gardeners as plants which look beautiful in the garden. I'm sure many cooks, or chefs, appreciate their culinary properties although I wonder how many people realise that the flowers are said to be edible (for use in, say, salads - not tried one myself!). For me though, chives are more than that. I have a clump right now that is rather spectacular, if I do say so myself. In fact, I'd say it's a show-off!
 |
| Clump of chives in full bloom |
I find chives so easy to grow. They form a neat clump which can be easily lifted and divided, so you can end up with quite a lot if you wish. If you cut the leaves for use in the kitchen, they soon make more leaves. They are hardy and herbaceous, so they disappear in UK winters and come back again each spring. And, for me, most of all, the bees love them.
 |
| Bees love chives |
 |
| Busy bee filling up its carrier bags on a chive |
I suppose you might want me to tell you about in what conditions chives like to grow. I don't know exactly. I've grown them in compost in pots, and I have grown them by just sticking them in the garden soil where they did much better than a pot. While they are not invasive, they do have a good fibrous root system which can soon fill a pot over time. I grow mine as a clump in a border which gets a fair amount of sunshine, is free draining, and the soil is around neutral and the soil heavy rather than light and sandy. I think these plants will not fair well in dry conditions as the leaves are plump are juicy to eat.
 |
| Chives in bud |
